I use canned tomatoes because they are already peeled, but if you prefer to use fresh - by all means, do so! and have fun peeling!

when adding ingredients to your food processor, start with the hardest ingredients to chop and work your way up to the mushiest. that way you don't end up accidentally making "salsa water"

peel the garlic and give it a rough chop. I am a garlic lover, so I use two large cloves - if you're not so much a fan than you can use just one if you'd like

rinse and chop green onions into about 1in thick pieces

add garlic and green onions to food processor and give it a nice pulse.

drain the olives, then add to the food processor and pulse

make sure to scrape the sides of the food processor every so often so that everything gets evenly chopped

$add jalape\u00f1o slices and pulse. I like my salsa with some kick, so I add about a dozen slices or so. for a more mild taste, add less. remember- you can always add more heat but you can't take it away$

add jalapeño slices and pulse. I like my salsa with some kick, so I add about a dozen slices or so. for a more mild taste, add less. remember- you can always add more heat but you can't take it away

$now add jalape\u00f1o juice from the very same jar that the jalape\u00f1o slices came from. this is where a lot of the heat comes from! I use about 2-3 Tbls. do NOT pulse yet$

now add jalapeño juice from the very same jar that the jalapeño slices came from. this is where a lot of the heat comes from! I use about 2-3 Tbls. do NOT pulse yet

add the chopped green chilies, if you are NOT using cilantro, pulse. if you are using cilantro, see next step.

if you are adding cilantro, now is the time. give it a small handful a rough chop and add it to the food processor, pulse.

it should look pretty disgusting at this point

it's tomato time! crack open that can and move over to the sink. you will need a small bowl and an apron if you've got it - the tomato goop tends to have a mind of its own!

grab a tomato and use your thumb to cut a hole for the liquid to escape. this helps cut down on the mess

squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can but try to keep the majority of the goop. (the reason you squeeze out the juice is so that the salsa doesn't end up watery)

throw the smashed tomato in to the bowl and repeat with the rest of the can

add the tomatoes to the food processor, don't pulse yet.

stir the tomatoes into the mixture before you pulse

NOW pulse until you reach your desired salsiness. this is not a chunky salsa, so don't be alarmed that it doesn't look like salsa from a jar. add plenty of salt and pepper to taste!

you're done! serve with tortilla chips and a cold margarita - try the Jimmy Buffett Margarita recipe on my page, it's the best! (but I may be biased) ...watch out for doggies who like to photobomb.

How to make the best homemade salsa for your next fiesta

This is my absolute favorite salsa on the planet - so much better than any salsa I have ever had from a jar. The best part is you can totally customize it to your preferred level of spiciness.